"Get Started with Jan"

Summer is here and the weather in the Columbia Valley is HOT! I'm playing lots of golf, doing Yoga in a beautiful outdoor setting at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, entertaining a constant flow of family and friends and trying to keep the business going strong! Skype has become my most used business practice as both my clients and myself are on the move. Feel lucky to be able to connect despite time and distance.

My article this month focuses on MOOD and how it can affect performance. I suggest every elite athlete or performer take a minute to watch a child do what YOU do as a profession. Observe the pure joy and enthusiasm, the lack of judgment or fear, the fun and unrestricted intensity as they learn to love the sport and task at hand.  Recall your early experiences and the absolute excitement you experienced on your way to practice. Bring back a bit of that child as you approach your next competition. Be the kind of performer you'd like that child to become!

Cheers,
Jan

"The athletes' message is clear.  The difference between best performances and worst performances lies within their thoughts."  ~ Terry Orlick

As John McEnroe, 3 time Wimbledon Tennis Champion said, "If only I could tame the lion inside me without putting out the fire." 

Here was a player who was so gifted in talent, and yet so unpredictable and undisciplined in controlling his emotions. When an athlete feels angry, upset, anxious or hostile during a game or event they are compromising their ability to perform at an optimal level.  For those performers who are at the highest echelon, most competitors come with a similar set of physical skills and any competitor COULD win on any given day. This is why it is so important for athletes and performers to find an OPTIMAL level of stress and mood. This is the mental preparation that will separate the winners and those that will fall behind.

As I watched the British Open this week I thought "mood" and attitude were big factors in Phil Mickelson's win.
 Watch Charles Schwartzel Broke His 6-Iron By Violently Throwing It During British Open [Video]